Abstract

Background and Aim: Childhood cancer is associated with fatal disorder and Countless studies about the psychological damage to children with cancer, increasing prejudice toward this group of children. The aim of this study was evaluate the accuracy of prejudices via comparison of children with cancer and children with hemophilia in cognitive impairments.

Methods: In this study, as a causal-comparative investigation, participated 50 children with hemophilia, 50 children with acute leukemia and 50 healthy children, in range of 7-12-year-old who referred to a children hospital (Mofid Hospital). In this study, a computerized version of N-back working memory test for assessing working memory function, Continuous Performance Test (CPT) for Attention Maintenance, and Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) for Executive Function and flexibility were applied.

Results: In N-back test, both groups of children with hemophilia and ALL in compare to healthy children reveal faint function in correct answer and no answer (P<0.001), but there is no significant difference between two groups of children with healthy ones in reaction time. In attention maintenance, children with hemophilia react weakly to variables like error in providing response, error elimination and the number of correct answers (P<0/001) but there were no significantly difference between two groups of children in reaction time. Comparing children with ALL and children with hemophilia in executive function showed children with hemophilia couldn’t react well in variables % correct, % Errors, Categories achieved, and Failures to maintain set. Children with hemophilia did not differ from children with acute Lymphoblastic leukemia (e.g. active memory) in some of indicators their functions were worst (such as executive functions) and both groups showed poorer performance than healthy children.

Conclusion: Leukemia is thought to be worse off than its hemophilia in consequences and cognitive impairment, while this study has shown that other chronic diseases, such as hemophilia, can cause the same cognitive impairment as well. The results of this study emphasize that cognitive interventions are necessary for children with chronic diseases related to blood disorders.

 Working memory, Executive functions, Attention-maintenance, Hemophilia, Acute Lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).